Insole



M. L. BROWN Nov. 3, 1942.

INSOLE 2 Sheets-Sheet` 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1941 4 n f INVENTOR.

I ATTORNEYS Nov. 3, 1942. M, L, BRQWN 2,300,739

` A INsoLE Filed Aug.- 5, 1941 2 sheets-sheet? Patented Nov. 3, 1942 UNITED vSTATES PATENTfoFFiCE Mark L. Brown, Vanceburg, Ky., assignorto Il. Marks & Sons Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a.`

Ycorporation of Ohio Application August 5, 1941, Serial No. 405,527

. 4 Claims.

This invention relates to shoes and is particularly directed to an improved insole construction. More specically, the invention is directed to an insole which includes a cushioned forepart adapted to increase the iiexibility of the forepart of the shoe construction and to make the sole soft and yielding whereby it will more readily conform to the shape of the foot of the wearer.

In the provision of a sole of this type, it is essential that the pad or cushion part of the insole be rmly attached in position. If the attachment is not secure, the pad or insert will creep or bunch after a certain period of use. The repeated bending or flexing of the forepart of the shoe together with pressure of the foot on the cushion pad normally tends to displace the pad. `Ii the pad is displaced, the shoe becomes quite uncomfortable tothe wearer.

It has been an object of the present inventor to provide an insole construction wherein the entire forepart of the insole is constituted by a flexible cushion pad, which pad is joined with the heel and shank portion of the insole in such manner that it will not be displaced.

- It is preferable to construct the resilient pad portion of some composition such as cork and latex bonded together. This material, because it is soft and yielding, `has a tendency to pull apart. This renders it diicult to attach the pad portion to the sole by means of stitching.

In View of the use of these materials such as cork and latex or like compositions, it has been the further object of the present inventor to reinforce the material in such manner that it may be firmly attached by means of stitching. In other Words, an arrangement is provided Whereby the stitching cannot tear loose. It is preferable to use a skin or covering sheet of some tough material such as leather or fabric adhesively applied to the upper or lower or bothsurfaces of the pad.

Another advantage resulting from the use of i the covering sheets is that the cushion material cannot spread laterally and its yielding is conned to a vertical direction. It is preferable to use such material as coutil which does not stretch, and the preferred embodiment is to use the material on both the upper and lower sides of the cushion.

y The resilient pad is thicker than the heel and shank portion of the insole and through the manner of attachment to the heel and shank portion of the insole along the forward edge thereof,'has

" its thickness evenly distributed relative to the thickness of the body of the insole. A binding strip may be used in the' attachment or connectionv of vthe parts. 1 Y

It has been a furtherobject of the present inventor to provide anY insole ofY this type which may be used either for right or left hand shoes;

vthat is, one which may have either face disposed upwardly.

It, has been a still further object of the present inventorto provide an insole construction of the type referred to: heretofore which` includesl a sewing rib or lip element for incorporation of the insole in a welt-type shoe. The arrangement in no Way interferes with the flexibility of the forepart of the insole and results in further reinforcement and unity of the fabricated insole.

This application is a continuation in part of my previous application filed January `4, 1940, Serial No. 312,415, and entitled Insoles Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully apparent from a description of the accompanying drawings,in which:

'Figure '1 isV a top plan View of the complete insole.

Figure 2 is a bottom view showing a portion of the binding strip drawn back.

Figure 3is a sectional View taken on line 3-3, Figure. 1, showing the details of the structure.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken transversely through the'forepart of a shoe.

Figure 5 isa view of the underside of an insole-'incorporating a sewing rib or lip and being adaptablel to welt-type shoes.

Figure' is a sectional View taken on line 6-6, Figure 5, detailingv the fabricated structure.

vFigure 7 is a'vievvvv taken similar to Figure 5, but with certainjof the parts broken away and thrown back for the purpose of illustrating the entire structure.,

Figure 8 is .a sectional view taken transversely through the forepart of the shoe of the welt-type, incorporating the improved insole.

Referring to the drawings, the upperof the shoeis indicated at '10, the outsole at II, and the insole vgenerallyat I2. The insole may be applied to any type 'of shoe construction and in this case, is shown in connection with a McKay shoe. The insole is formed from a blank of leather or other appropriate Ymaterial in the 'customary manner, except that it has no forepart, the forepart being constituted by the provision of a resilient pad or cushion I3. This resilient pad or cushion is of the' normal outline of the forepart Thel cushion.vv i3, thereforaextends over the normal area 'of the forepart'of the insole andy presents a soft cushion directly upon the outsole II of the shoe and yieldably supporting the metatarsal arch of the foot. 'Ihe material which has been found best suited to this use and is preferred is a composition made up of cork bonded with latex. However, equivalent compositions may be used. This material, or its equivalent, has the advantage of providing a certain degree of rmness and will not become flattened or permanently distorted because of constant pressure in use.

As stated, these preferred materials do not take stitching well for the stitching has a tendency to tear out of the material. Accordingly, reinforcement for the resilient or cushion material is employed. Toward 'this end, sheets of material I4, either leather or fabric, are adhesively attached to the resilient pad.` These sheets of material are of the same area as the pad. The sheets may be employed only'on the top or only on the bottom. It is preferable to use them on both sides in thosecases where the insole is to be interchangeable for right or left shoes. The preferred practice vis to :make up the composition sheets with the layer or layers of reinforcing applied to' a' blank sheet'. The pad sections are then cut to size from the complete sheet.

The forward edge I5 of 'the' heel and shank portionI of the'insole and the rear edge I6 of the pad portion abut on angular lines. It will be noted that the pad is of greater thickness than the insole, this being done to achieve the proper cushioning action, When the pad is in place (Figure 4) it fillsin the concave inner side of the outsole and as stitched affords a raised central area lling in theI arch ofthe forepart of the foot. The partsj that is, theheel and shank portion I'I of the insole and the pad i3,are attachedtogether by means of zigzag stitching IS applied through a binding or connecting strip I 9 overlapping the abutting edges and adhesively applied to the margins of the heel andshank portion I.' and pad I3. Thus, the pad'is securely attached to the heel and shank portion andloses none'of its natural flexibility. It constitutes a complete flexible insole 'read-ily incorporated in 'the `shoe (Figure 4) As shown in Figure 4,'the upper is lasted over the insole as at 20. lThe `outsole' is then applied stretch. In thepreferred form of the invention,

it has been found that a material such ascoutil is advantageous. Accordingly, all of the yield or give of the cushion material is vertical; that is, the' forepart cannot spread laterally. Particularly, is this so if the llayers of covering material are used bothv on Athe top and bottom of the cushion" pad.

Referring to Figures 5 to 8 inclusive, it will be noted that the basic or fundamental structure is the same as that described heretofore in this specification. A sewing rib or lip 2'5 vis adhesivelysecured to the margin of the underside of the insole. This rib is formed form' a thin strip of The reinforcing doesnot interleather material, split at its opposite side edges to provide upturned lips 26 which are joined together adhesively to constitute the attaching lip 2'I of the insole. 'I'he base portion 28 of this formed rib or lip element, as stated, is adhesivelyA secured to the elements I4 andv I '1, extending across the connection between the forepart or cushion portion and the heel and shank portion of the insole. .This rib extends substantially to the heel portion of the insole.

An additional sheet of material, such as coutil,

'indicated at 28, is adhesively secured to the bottom of the insole within the area defined by the marginally attached rib. This sheet is extended into contact'with the inner face of the rib or lip 2lY and is adhesively secured thereto as at 30.

ftingor tearing in use.

As illustrated'in Figure 8, the upper 3| of the modification is lasted over the insole as at 20. Specifically, it is drawn into contact with the outer face o-f the rib, and the welt strip 32 is Astitched into position around the assembled upper' and insole by means of stitching .33. The outsole' 34 is then applied and is secured to the weltY 32 by means of stitching 35. A filler 36 is used between the outsole and rthe insole to fill in the space defined by the rib. As will be seen, the rib,Y although not interfering with the flexibility of the insole, tends to further secure the several parts ofthe insole together against split- This will be apparent from the fact that Vthe rib extends across the stitched .connection between the cushion portion of the insole and the heel and shank portion of foot, said forepart element formed of cork and latex bonded together, a sheet of substantially nonstretchable material cemented to one of the fsu'rfaces" of said forepart element, the rear edge of the forepart element and the forward edge of Vthe heel and shankportionv abutting, a bindying strip overlying themargins of the 'abutted elements, and stitching through said binding strip extending along` and across the abutting 'edges lfor attaching the elements firmly together.

2. An improved fabricated insole, comprising a heel Iand shank portion formed of insolematerial, a forepart formed of soft yielding composition, said Vforepart having a reinforcing layer of fabric or` 'the like adhesively attached to one face'thereof for reinforcing the composition, the rear edge of the forepart abutting the forward edge of the heel and shank portion and attached 'thereto by means of stitching, and a reinforcing' strip extending along andoverlapping the abutting edges.

3. `An improved fabricated insole, comprising a heel and shank portion formed of insole materia1,.a forepart formed of soft yielding composition, said forepart having a reinforcing layer of fabric or the like adhesively attached to one face thereoffor reinforcingthe composition, the rear edge of the forepart abutting the forward edge of the -heel and shank portion and attached theretoA by means-of stitching, a-reinforcing strip extending along and overlapping the abutting edges, and a strip, constituting a sewing rib, secured to the margin vof the underside of the insole and extending across the' abutting edges of the heel and shank portion and the forepart of the insole.

4. An improved fabricated insole, comprising a heel and shank portion formed of insole material, a forepart cut to the full normal outline of the forward end of the foot and constituting the entire forward end of the insole, said forepart formed of soft yieldable cushion material, said forepart having a reinforcing layer of fabric or the like adhesively attached to one face thereof for reinforcing the material, the rear edge of the forepart abutting the forward edge of the heel and shank portion and attached thereto by means of stitching extending through both the layer of fabric and the forepart element and along and parallel with said abutting edges, a strip secured to the margin of the underside of the insole providing an attaching lip, said strip extending around the edge of the shoe and across the abutting edges of the forepart and the heel and shank portion, and a layer of fabric secured to the underside of the insole within the area dened by the strip, said layer of fabric being adhesively secured in position.

MARK L. BROWN. 

